Machine for rupturing paper and the like for testing purposes



Oct. 10, 1950 R. E. GETCHELL 2,525,345

- MACHINE FOR RUPTURING PAPER AND THE LIKE FOR TESTING PURPOSES Filed May 20, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 10, 1950 MACHINE FOR RUPTURING PAPER AND THE LIKE FOR TESTING PURPOSES Raymond E. Getchell, Holyoke, Mass, assignor to B. F. Perkins & Son, .Inc., Holyoke, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, 1948, Serial No. 28,095 2 Claims. (01. 73 102 This invention relates to improvements in testing machines and is directed more particularly to machines for testing or bursting material in web or sheet form of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,901,359, issued March 14, 1933.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a, testing machine which is characterized by means for clamping the specimen being tested under predetermined or known pressure.

In machines of the type referred to, a specimen of material is clamped between an apertured clamp and apertured ring beneath which ring is a flexible diaphragm. Pressure is applied to the underside of the diaphragm which is caused to act on and rupture the specimen.

The clamp is caused to press the specimen to the ring by a manual operation and the pressure necessary or used is not known and different materials or different specimens of the same material are not clamped with the same pressure.

For purposes of comparison, difierent specimens of the same or similar materials should be clamped with the same pressure for the testing operation but since the clamping pressure with prior art machines is not known and clamping pressures with different specimens vary, comparisons are merely approximate.

According to the novel features of this invention, means is provided whereby a predetermined clamping pressure or a known clamping pressure may be employed and as a further feature pressure applying means applies pressure to the specimen clamping means prior to the application of pressure to the diaphragm.

With the foregoing and various other novel.

features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the figure is a side elevational View of a testing machine, with parts in section, embodying the novel features of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A base 2 is provided which has an arm 4 extending upwardly therefrom that is provided with an upper cylinder body 6 on its upper end.

A lower cylinder body 8 is carried by the base and it has a piston bore l therein. An angular part ['2 of the body 8 is provided with a bore 14 in communication with the bore H].

A head member I6 is in screw threaded engagement with the part 2 and it has a chamber l8 therein.

A flexible diaphragm is disposed over an aperture 22 leading into the chamber l8 and an apertured ring 24 is held in clamping relation on the diaphragmby means of a cap 26 in threaded engagement with the head I6.

The cylinder body 6 is provided with a bore 28 in which a piston 30 is reciprocable. A conduit ll connects the piston bore H] to the piston bore 28, as shown.

A screw 32 is in threaded engagement with part 34 of the base and has a hand wheel 35 fixed to its outer end. The inner end of the screw is in threaded engagement with a, piston 38 reciprocable in the bore Ill. As the screw 32 is rotated in one direction or the other, the piston 38 is moved in one direction or the other.

Obviously any other means desired may be employed to bring about reciprocation of piston 35.

With liquid such as glycerine or the like in the bores l0 and I4 and as the piston 38 is moved forwardly or to the left, said liquid is forced upwardly through conduit l'l so that it acts on pis ton 30 to move it downwardly.

A cup shaped clamp 40 fixed by a rod 42 to piston 30 is moved downwardly to clamp a specimen to be tested to member 24 over the diaphragm 20. When piston 38 is moved rearwardly or to the right so that pressure is reduced a spring 44 moves piston 30 upwardly.

A passageway 46 leads from bore i l to a bore 48 in the member IS. A valve 50 is spring pressed to seating position to close passageway 46 by a spring 52. A screw 54 in threaded engagement with member It acts on to tension spring 52.

In testing a specimen it is placed on the member 24 and. piston 38 is moved forwardly. The clamp 40 is moved downwardly to clamp the specimen between it and member 24 and over the aper ture in member 24.

The member 54 may be adjusted so that valve 50 will yield when a predetermined pressure is attained and the pressure may be indicated by indicating means such as a gauge 52 in communication with the upper end of bore 28.

Thus the clamping pressure is known or may be predetermined so that certain clamping pressures may be related to certain materials under test.

When valve 50 yields, pressure is applied through a passageway 56 to chamber |8so as to act on and distend diaphragm 20 for bursting the clamped specimen.

Thus movement of piston 38 first brings about clamping of the specimen at a known or predetermined pressure and then causes the diaphragm to act on the specimen for the testing thereof.

A passageway 58 from the chamber 18 is in communication with a bore 6!! leading into chamher Is and is closed by a valve 56 which is urged to seating position by a spring 62 which abuts an apertured ring 66 in the body. The parts may be arranged to relieve pressure at a predetermined point.

Thus it will be observed that the clamping means is initially operated for clamping the specimen and that subsequently testing pressure is applied for testing the specimen by means of a common pressure means.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A testing machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base construction provided with a horizontal bore for a main piston and a vertical bore separate therefrom for a clamp piston and having a platform for a specimen, said base having a separate chamber provided with an open upper side in said platform and provided with a connection between said chamber and horizontal bore, a connection for fluid between said bores, a distendable diaphragm over and closing the open upper side of said chamber, a piston in saidvertical bore having clamp means extending therefrom for clamping a specimen to be tested to said platform over said diaphragm, a main piston in said horizontal bore, all adapted and arranged whereby fluid in said horizontal bore may be displaced by the piston therein into said vertical bore and chamber, and valve means in said first-named connection arranged and adapted to permit fluid to flow therethrough when at a predetermined pressure.

2. A testing machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base construction provided with a horizontal bore for a main piston and a vertical bore separate therefrom for a clamp piston and having a platform for a specimen, said base having a separate chamber provided with an open upper side in said platform and provided with a connection between said chamber and horizontal bore, a connection for fluid between said bores, a distendable diaphragm over and closing the open upper side of said chamber, a piston in said vertical bore having clamp means extending therefrom for clamping a specimen to be tested to said platform over said diaphragm, a main piston in said horizontal bore, all adapted and arranged whereby fluid in said horizontal bore may be displaced by the piston therein into said vertical bore and chamber, and valve means in said first-named connection arranged and adapted to permit fluid to flow therethrough when at a predetermined pressure, and valved means between said chamber and horizontal bore arranged to allow fluid to flow from the former to the latter.

RAYMOND E. GETCI-IELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,116,118 Putnam Nov. 3, 1914 2,186,213 Senna Jan. 9, 1940 2,340,733 Clark Feb. 1, 1944 

